Captagon: Syria’s Hidden Drug Empire

Was al-Assad's Syria a narco-state? Captagon—a deadly, addictive amphetamine—has turned Syria into the heart of a $2 billion drug empire few know about, with the Assad regime at the center of it all. From secret labs to smuggling routes, we uncover how this shadowy network operates and its devastating impact across the Middle East. With the regime’s fall, what happens to this illicit empire? In this episode:  Caroline Rose (@CarolineRose8), director at New Lines Institute Dania Albaba (@daniaonfire), expert in addiction psychiatry  Episode credits:  This episode was written and produced by Anna Staufenberg and hosted by Halla Mohieddeen.  Executive Producers: Ney Alvarez and Sandra Ferrari. Production Managers: Archan Mohile and Bronte Baskin. Senior Producer: Marthe van der Wolf. Post-Production Supervisor: Andrés Rivera Assistant Producers: Leo Danczak, Sophie McNulty, and Catherine Nouhan. Fact-checking by Ruby Zaman. Audio editing by Alan Leer. Music composition by Tom Biddle. Lead of Engagement: Aya Elmileik. Engagement Producers: Adam Abou-Gad, Munera AlDosari, and Vienna Maglio. Al Jazeera’s Head of Audio: Ney Alvarez. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Instagram, X, Facebook and YouTube